Angels in Purgatory
by V Shape Otaku
Summary: Five years after the end of Bebop, Faye begins finding more clues about what really happened to Spike; Is she prepared for what she’s about to find next? What will happen when someone else stumbles onto what she has found?
1. Coffee and Chocolate

Well, folks, I'm up to bat for another round of fanfiction. Some of you have already read my other fics, some of you are just now getting to know me.

Basic rules:

-I don't own them unless I have obviously created them. (I.E. Kyoko in 'Yokai No Kokoro' was mine, Sayaka in 'Lying From You' is mine, Vee in this fic is mine.)

-Thoughts of a character are shown in [this boxy-looking kind of parentheses].

-Aside from introductory disclaimers such as this, I always leave Author's Notes at the end of the chapters.

-If you have a serious complaint about my fanfic, feel free to either tell me about it in a review or an e-mail. No flames, please.

-Occasionally I feel that a song may add special meaning to a particular chapter, so I will give that chapter the same title as that chapter and usually list the lyrics at the beginning of the chapter.

-As always, feel free to send me an e-mail asking any questions or even to talk in general. I always do what I can to reply to e-mails, but it is sometimes impossible to reply to every review.

And now on to the fun part!

Chapter 1: Chocolate and Coffee

Faye sighed as she stared up at the abandoned skyscraper. A cold wind lifted her somewhat longer hair from her face and her trench coat was blown looser on her still slender form. [Five years ago, to this day exactly, this building was roaring with explosions and gunfire… That was the last time… the last time anyone saw _him_. All this time, I've been looking… no bodies, no paper trail, no nothing.]

Faye shook her head as she pulled on her coat so that it held tighter to herself, blocking the cold, stormy wind from her skin. She took one last wistful glance at the old building as she turned away and walked down the empty street. She looked down at the watch on her wrist, realizing that if she did not hurry, she would be late.

After many long fruitless searches, Faye had found a single member of the syndicate that claimed to have remembered something about what happened that night. However, Faye remembered, many others had told her that _his_ body had been carried out by a few men loyal to the old order. These men, supposedly five of them, all seemed to have disappeared since then.

It was said, though, that this man she was meeting tonight knew where one of them was. Faye was willing to pay any price to find _him_ and she felt so close now—she could almost see him. So many years, it seemed, of dealing with politics and problems in the _Red Dragon_ that Faye might as well have joined the syndicate. By now, she knew as much of what was happening in the syndicate as any living member, if not more than most.

Faye's eyes finally fell on the small coffee shop that she had promised to meet the man in. She fingered the grip of her 44 auto. in her pocket, knowing that there stood a chance that she was being lured in the coffee shop to be killed. She took in a deep breath before she stepped in the smoke-hazed coffee shop. She relaxed as she saw that there were no men holding assault rifles, waiting for her. All that was to be seen in the little shop was a balding man behind the counter and a woman, about Faye's age, sitting at a corner table by herself.

Faye ordered a café latte and took a seat at another table in the corner of the room. She was startled when she heard the deep, silky voice of the other woman in the shop.

"Are you the one that is looking for the man who killed Vicious?" The woman pulled her blonde hair away from her face as she moved to the table that Faye was sitting in. "You don't mind, do you?"

Faye shook her head as she reached into her pocket for her gun. "And what if I am?"

The woman smiled as she reached into her pocket and withdrew, to Faye's surprise and relief, a pack of cigarettes. She pulled one from the pack and offered one to Faye as she lit her own. She took in a long draw from the cigarette as she leaned back in her seat. "Do you know who took the syndicate after both Vicious and the Elders were killed?"

Faye nodded slowly as she took a cigarette from the woman. "Some kid, wasn't it?"

The woman seemed to flinch, but she showed no other evidence that she was at a disagreement with Faye's answer. "Yeah, he's supposed to be one of 'em that was real close to Vicious. He's been hearing about you—you're being too cocky."

Faye rolled her eyes. All this elaborate act was just for a warning she already had heard a million times from Jet. She blew smoke into the air as she noticed the woman's seeming anxiety. "So, are you the person who is supposed to meet me here or were you sent to kill me?"

The blonde woman chuckled at Faye's casual tone and harsh words. "You really have been looking into the _Dragons_ a lot, haven't you? Really, are you ISSP?"

Faye shook her head as she flipped ashes from the end of the cigarette into an ashtray. "I'm a bounty hunter when I'm not looking up old friends."

"Bounty hunting, eh? You any good?"

"I guess so… but…" Faye shrugged as she took another long draw from her cigarette. "I must be out of touch if I've been looking for the same guy for five years…"

The blonde woman smiled. She seemed to like Faye's sense of humor well enough. She held her hand out as a gesture of friendship. "Call me Vee."

Faye shook the woman's hand. "Vee? Does it stand for something?"

The woman sighed as she pressed her cigarette into the ashtray, thus extinguishing the fiery tip. "It's a long story—one I don't care to tell, no matter who you are."

[She's dodging the subject…] Faye nodded as she too put her cigarette out. "Tell me, are you the person that I'm supposed to meet here, or are you a representative? Really, I don't mean to be rude, but I need to get this information."

"That… yes… Well, let's get on with it then. What do you want to know?"

Faye gritted her teeth as she suddenly stood from her seat, causing the chair to fall to the ground behind her. "I want to know what happened to Spike!"

Vee sighed as she reached into her pocket and withdrew a small business card. She pushed it across the table to Faye. "Take this. Go to the address and tell them that I sent you. Ask them what you need to know—they'll tell you what they can."

Faye took the card, briefly glanced at it, and then looked back up to Vee. Vee had begun to leave the shop, but Faye ran out after her and grabbed her arm. "You've met him before, haven't you? You know where he is, don't you?"

Vee spun around, contempt flaring in her emerald eyes. "Did you even look at that card? I'd think that it'd be enough of a hint."

Faye stepped back as she released Vee's arm and watched as she stormed away. Only moments later, a black BMW drove up next to Vee and a door was opened, allowing the blonde woman entrance into the vehicle. Faye was about to walk back to her zip craft when she heard the old man that ran the coffee shop yelling for her. She turned around to see him waving the business card at her.

Faye turned around and walked back into the coffee shop and took her card from the old man. She was ready to leave once more when the sound of the elderly man's voice stopped her.

"You're going to leave without finishing your latte? Also, I forgot to tell you earlier—you seemed preoccupied—when you order that size of drink, a complimentary chocolate comes with it." The old man chuckled as he stepped behind the counter and pulled out a chocolate bar for Faye.

Faye graciously took the bar as she slowly returned to her seat in the corner of the room. She leaned back in the chair as she took a long look at the business card that she had been handed. She angrily slammed the card back on the table. [I can only hope that she's mocking me… Dammit… The city morgue… he's not dead… he can't be…]

A solitary tear rolled over Faye's cheek as she unwrapped the chocolate bar. She shook her head slowly as she remembered that day. He had told her to look into his eyes—two different colors of brown—coffee and chocolate. An eye that saw the present and an eye that saw the past, one eye synthetic and one eye was his own. Before that day he had always avoiding speaking of the past and never told her anything about himself prior to their meeting. The memory brought chills down her spine and tears to her eyes. When he left, he knew he would not come back.

But Faye wasn't about to let him fade away. There was neither proof of his death nor proof of his existence. As long as there was hope, Faye would never let him go… never.

* * *

A.N. Well, I hope everyone likes this… I'm used to writing… well, happier fanfics. This, however, as I am planning, isn't quite close to being 'happy'. I apologize if I take a while between updates, I'm working on several other fics as well as this one. Right now, I'm working on the conclusion of my second fan fic, 'Lying From You' and starting this and another Inu Yasha fic, and then I'm a few chapters into my WHR fic… ;; Sorry… got a little off-track…

Anyway, read and review, tell me what you think!

Ja ne,

Ryoko Yuy / V Shape Otaku


	2. The 'Morgue'

* * *

Chapter 2: The 'Morgue'

Faye grabbed the business card as she exited the coffee shop and shoved the small card into one of the pockets of her trench coat. She grumbled as she looked once more at the address on the card. She stepped out on the curb and waved a taxi over to where she was standing—it was just as easy to ride the cab to the address as it was to walk all of the way back to the zip craft three blocks in the opposite direction.

As she pulled herself into the vehicle, she read off the address for the cab driver to go to and leaned back in the seat. She watched the old brick buildings and the occasional skyscraper as the taxi passed them. The more that she stared out the window lost in thought that she was, the more she found herself lost in thoughts of the past.

It was not until two days after it happened that she was able to come to the building. She ran into the skyscraper and saw that all of the damage had not yet been cleaned up. The police were still trying to sort out the bodies of the dead and the injured that were occupying nearly half of one wing of the local hospital. No arrests were made for those that had escaped unscathed and few that were taken out on stretchers, either to the hospital or to the morgue were considered innocent of any crime.

She pushed her way through the tape and up the blood-spattered stairs, hoping that perhaps when she reached the top, he'd be there. However, all she got for climbing the thirty stories up to the top floor was a police escort out. After a few hours of questioning, she was ruled out as a possible member of the syndicate. Immediately, she ran out to the hospital, hoping to find and identify Spike. She did not find him there nor did she find him in the morgue. He had not died, he had not gone to the hospital, and he had not returned to the _Bebop_. Faye knew better than anyone that he wouldn't die and she was the only one left to believe it.

Which brought her back to the fact that she had been told to go to the morgue for answers. She was nearly afraid of the idea of actually finding the answer there in a place of death and decay. She had told herself too many times that he was not dead. After all, several times she had seen him survive worse things that bullet wounds.

"Here ya go, lady."

Faye blinked a few times, bringing herself back to reality. As she looked out the window, she saw that the building that he had taken her to was not quite what she had expected. She looked down at the card and back up at the driver. "Are you sure that this is Twenty-three Thirty-three West Wise?"

"Yes'm. I've lived in this town all my life and I know it like the back o' my hand."

Faye slowly opened the door as she dropped her fare into the driver's hand and stepped out of the taxi. She stared at the weathered old brick building, probably only held up by the dirt that had worked its way between the cracks over the years. Though she knew the building was no morgue, she cautiously walked up the steps to the front door. She hesitated before knocking, knowing that there was a chance that behind this door would be the person to tell her 'He's dead.'

The sound of wooden floorboards creaking clued Faye in on the fact that someone was indeed coming to answer the door. In a matter of seconds that seemed hours, the aluminum door creaked open, revealing a middle-aged, balding man. His eyes seemed scared as they looked over Faye, still in her trench coat, now wearing a pair of mirrored sunglasses. "Y-ye-y-yes?"

Faye withdrew the card from her pocket and handed it to the man. "Vee sent me."

Whatever color that had been in the man's already lightly colored face was lost as he stared at Faye. "V-vee?"

Faye nodded, a smile coming to her face. "I have a few questions for you, that's all. I'm not gonna kill you."

The man smiled as he pulled the door open and welcomed Faye into his home. He often stuttered and tripped in his speaking and always managed to be as gracious as possible to the woman he had just allowed to enter his home. He was quick to brew a pot of tea and served a cup to Faye as they sat together around the kotatsu that had been centered in what could have been considered his dining room. He spoke frequently of how much he owed the syndicate and just how much he happened to adore Vee—it was all getting on Faye's nerves quickly.

"Tell me, do you remember a man by the name of Spike Spiegel?" Faye leaned forward, eager to hear what the man had to say.

The man's brown eyes narrowed into a solemn stare. "That man died five years ago. Looking for him won't do you any good."

Faye slammed down her tea cup as rage flared in her emerald eyes. "Then why have I been sent on yet another wild goose chase? Why haven't I seen a body or a grave or something? No one has proved to me that he's dead and I know for damn sure that a few bullets couldn't have killed him!"

The man stared in confusion as he saw a few repressed tears slide over Faye's cheeks. Apparently, she really _did_ need to find Spike. The man stood from the kotatsu and moved to shut all of his curtains. As he finished, he sat back down, opposite to Faye. "You aren't just any regular messenger from Vee, are you? Well, you listen, that man is dead and best left alone. You'll be getting into more trouble by trying to hunt him up than if you just left him be where he is—dead."

"Dammit, I not from the syndicate! I don't know nor care just who Vee is, all I need to know is where Spike is!"

The man took a long sip of his tea as he looked around the room, as though making sure that no one had sneaked in to eavesdrop. He lowered his voice as he leaned forward, is gaze boring into Faye's eyes. "Just how do you know Spike?"

Faye sighed as she stared into her cup. "Six and a half years ago, I was stranded—my zip craft had run out of fuel. After begging dozens of other ships to at least tow me to the next planet, an old fishing ship stopped and let me on. Well, these two guys just happened to be a pair of bounty hunters that I had a run-in with before.

"I'm not sure when or how it happened, but I started staying in that old fishing ship with Spike. I was able to stay so long as I helped out when it came time to catch a bounty-head. He was just… a really good friend."

The man nodded as he reached for a pen and a sheet of paper that he had beside the kotatsu. He held his hand over the paper as he wrote several lines on the paper and then folded it before handing it to Faye. "Don't look at that paper until you get out of this area. Don't come back here looking for me either, I won't be here."

Faye shoved the piece of paper into her pocket as she stared at the man, whom had just begun packing some of his belongings into a suitcase. "Why are you leaving?"

The man hesitated as he shoved a few personal items into the suitcase. "I was supposed to have died that night five years ago. So if Vee sent you, the syndicate knows I'm alive—I have to leave."

Faye turned for the door, knowing that the man would tell her no more. As she reached for the handle, the sound of his voice stopped her. "Huh?"

"I said, good luck finding him. Tell him that Wes said 'Good luck'." The man smiled for a brief moment and then gestured for Faye to leave.

Faye walked out of the old building, just in time to wave over another taxi. No sooner than she had told the taxi where to go and the vehicle had begun to move, she heard an explosion. She turned around to see that the old brick building was in flames. The cab driver looked up at the rearview mirror, but acted unaffected by the sight.

Faye sat impatiently in the cab, nervous now because of the explosion. She realized that the man was probably killed for abandoning the syndicate. However, it seemed rather obvious that the syndicate knew where he had been—why did they wait until then to kill him?

Faye shook her head, pushing the thought from her mind. [That man was none of my concern… As it is, I've got to return to the ship… All this mess with the syndicate has gotten me so tense that I can't think… But Vee—who was she? Apparently that man knew and feared her, but she had seemed harmless enough…]

"You gonna get out or sit 'n stare at the seat all day? I've got quite a few more hours to work, lady."

Faye broke from her thoughts as she dropped the fee into the man's hand and hurried into the parking garage. She stepped in and took the elevator to the top floor, where she had left her zip craft. As soon as she sat in the seat of the _Redtail_, she reached into her pocket for the paper that the man, Wes, had given her before she left. She slowly unfolded the page, her eyes taking in every word it had to offer.

_'Go to Ganymede, in the capital city, there is an old pawn shop called 'Randy's Gold 'N Guns'. Ask the owner to speak with you privately, not in the shop. Tell him that Wes sent you. Good luck finding Spike, but be careful of the syndicate.'_

[So, he _is_ alive… I'm so glad…] Faye sighed as she re-folded the piece of paper and shoved it back into her pocket. She jammed her key into the ignition, turned it, and then slammed the clutch into gear. By now, she was more than ready to return to the _Bebop_.

* * *

A.N. Well, then end of chapter two—I know that if I don't say something about this, someone is gonna ask me about it. The man, Wes, described as balding—I know that he just happens to be the second man described as such, but that has no meaning at all. It just happened, I don't know how or why. But, I thought that I'd mention because smoe smartass would tell me 'Hey, you used the same description twice...'

Also, for those of you who might not be too rich in Japanese vocabulary, a _kotatsu_ is a heated table. (I.E. Love Hina, V1, Keitaro and Naru were studying at the kotatsu.) It's okay, I didn't know what one was for a while either...

Okay folks, now its your turn, now that you've read, it's review time! Please?

Ja ne,

V Shape Otaku


	3. Going to Ganymede

Chapter 3: Going to Ganymede

Faye managed a weak smile as she slid out of her zip craft and onto the floor of the hangar in the _Bebop_. She knew that if she did not act as she normally would, Jet would suspect something wrong and grill her for the answer. She widened her grin as she dashed into the 'living room' upon hearing the television.

A year after 'Big Shot' had been cancelled, a copy-cat show emerged and happened to be a bit more successful than its predecessor. Personally, Faye did not much care for the show, but enough information was provided between commercials that she found herself busier chasing bounty-heads than ever before. Faye leaned over the couch, just enough to get her hair in Jet's way—if only to annoy him.

As a restaurant commercial began, Faye stood straight once more and stretched. "So, anything good around the Ganymede area?"

"Not really." Jet leaned back and propped his feet on the coffee table in front of himself. He lowered his voice as he murmured, "I see you came home alone again. When are you going to give up?"

Faye felt her heart sink upon Jet's question, the same nagging he gave her every time when he knew that she had gone out looking for Spike. He seemed lenient the first few times, but after the first month, Faye's persistence began to wear on his nerves. Over the five years it had been amazing that a greater rift had not been formed between the two, but that was due in part to Faye. She realized after a short time not to tell him about what she was going to do, even though he knew very well where and why she would leave.

"One of these days, you're going to get dragged into the syndicate. Spike was sure that he wasn't going to get dragged back in—look what happened. One of these days, Faye, it will happen and I won't go after—"

"Shut up!" Faye slammed her hands against the back of the couch before she spun around and stormed to her room, much in the same manner as an angry child.

Jet watched in faint regret as Faye disappeared into the hallway. [Stupid woman… I don't mean to aggravate her so, but she needs to understand that she can't just do whatever she wants and come out unscathed…]

Jet jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see the teenage member of the _Bebop_ standing behind him. She had taken permanent residence with the two bounty hunters when her father had died three years prior. Although Faye and Jet often pondered what had happened, no one on the ship other than Ed knew—she didn't talk about it.

She was still an all-around cheerful girl, but she had also matured much after her father's passing. She tried not to show it, but knowing that she was without living relatives troubled her a lot—her only true home now was the _Bebop_ and her only comforts were working and taking care of Ein. She smiled as her lengthy red hair fell in front of her face. "Only a few minutes in and already she's mad at you. Really, Jet, you should watch what you say sometimes."

Jet's usual understanding for the girl's words was lost in his anger. "I'll say whatever I damn well please, this is **my** ship!"

Ed shrugged, held her hands in the air, and sighed. "Whatever. Look, there's a new bounty-head that just popped up in Ganymede for 20 mil."

Jet shrugged as he turned toward the bridge. "Go tell Faye about it; I'll go change course."

Ed smiled, knowing that she had gotten as close as possible to an apology from Jet. She had known him long enough and well enough that she looked up to him as though he were a surrogate father. His tempers, mood swings, all of it, she could read as though an opened book.

Ed slowly made her way back to Faye's room and knocked delicately before opening the door. As she entered the room she saw Faye leaning against the wall, tear stains on her cheeks. Ed knew as well as anybody that Faye was sensitive about whether or not she was going to find Spike. "Hey, big sis, any luck today?"

Faye managed a faint smile as she wiped her face, trying not to look as distressed as she actually was. Ed had begun calling Faye 'Big sis' long ago, though neither one could remember exactly when. In a way, it made sense to each of them, because even though they were both without a place of their own, they had both come to live on the _Bebop_ at about the same time. They were without any living relatives, but often found that the physical similarities that would have been shared by real sisters were made up for by the similarities in their personalities.

Faye moved and gestured for Ed to sit beside her as she sat on the side of her bed. She held out the piece of paper that Wes had given to her. "I think that this counts as the best lead I've had to date… Heh, I hope that I can finally find out what happened after this…"

Ed read over the paper and then placed her hand on Faye's shoulder. She flashed a quick reassuring smile as she handed the paper back to Faye. "Don't worry. I have a good feeling about this, Faye. You'll find him—next thing we'll know, it'll be just like the old days."

Faye shrugged as she reached for her pack of cigarettes on a nightstand. "You had a good feeling about the last several times, too, Ed."

"Yeah, well this time, it's real." Ed pushed the cigarettes out of Faye's reach as she stood to leave the room. "By the way, you really need to quit—those damn things are expensive, you know that, right?"

"It's a bill I can afford to fit." Faye smiled as she left the cigarettes alone and followed Ed out of the room. "So, what was Jet's problem? You know, earlier, I heard him yell at you."

Ed grinned mischievously. "I told him that he needed to watch what he said and that there was a bounty-head for 20 mil on Ganymede. It's so new that it hasn't even gotten the chance to be aired on TV. This guy sounds like a pushover, but I'm sure that we have our work cut out for us…"

"Who is he?"

Ed reached into the refrigerator and withdrew a can of food for her pet Corgi. "He's the leader of some unheard of terrorist organization. A bunch of guys wanting to stir up trouble is really all that it is. They claim to be out to spread the word of some unpronounceable religion and crush any Christians, Buddhists, Jews—anyone who happens to disagree with any one word that they say."

Faye watched as Ed bent over and emptied the can into Ein's bowl. "So, just a bunch of kids stirring up trouble in the name of a religion? Well, if that isn't unoriginal…"

"Pretty much. The guy that the bounty is on killed a few too many people. Not just any people, but people in high places with friends that have lots of money and lots of weapons. That's the part that won't be easy." Ed reached into the fridge once more and withdrew a can of cola this time. "Thirsty?"

Faye gladly took the soda as she leaned against the counter behind herself. [This shouldn't be too hard…]

* * *

Several hours later

* * *

Faye's eyes lit up as she looked down at Ganymede. Never before had she so wanted to come to this particular planet, but now she couldn't wait to set foot on the ground. During the time that it took to get to Ganymede, she had taken printouts of the information that Ed gave her and carefully studied her target bounty-head. She knew quite well that if she did not concentrate on the bounty, the reward would slip right through her fingers.

"You ready to go get him?" Ed smiled as she moved to stand next to Faye and also looked out at the planet ahead.

Faye's eyes became distant as she remembered her true reasoning for wanting to go to Ganymede. She spun around, eyes wide as she looked at Ed. "Did you find the address for that pawn shop?"

Ed took in a sharp breath, remembering. "Oh… It wasn't a pawn shop, it was a gun store. I guess that the guy spelled it wrong, because it was Randi's Golden Guns. It is run by a woman, Randi, and her husband. It seems that these are very prominent people in that community, not like the usual people from the syndicate."

Faye sunk back into a chair and sighed. "Which do you think that we should do first? Go for the bounty or go to look for _him_?"

Ed leaned back, taking a long look at Faye. "Well, you know what I'd normally say, but this time I have some different reasoning. If we want to really get the chance to speak with those people who own that gun shop, then we're going to have to appear to have some wealth—they won't open their doors to just anyone. So, logically, we're going to have to have the money from the bounty in order to get a word in edgewise."

The girls nearly jumped as they heard footsteps approaching the room. They both turned to see Jet enter the room. He took a long, heavy sigh and continued into the room, throwing a foul expression to both of them as he muttered under his breath, "Still wasting your time…"

Ed shot Jet a pleading look as she saw Faye's troubled expression. Knowing that not saying anything would only add to the tension in the air, Ed decided to bring up a different subject. "So, are you going to go out after this bounty, too, Jet?"

"Huh? Ohh… I guess so. I figured that you two had it all figured out already, though." Jet moved closer to Ed as she pulled out her laptop. He watched as she instantly pulled up several windows with information about the bounty-head that they were chasing. He nodded slowly and thoughtfully as he read the information. "So, do you guys have any idea how we're going to get this guy?"

Faye relaxed as she straightened in her seat more. "He's the type that is willing to go out in a blaze of glory if he thinks that we're after him—he'd much rather die than to be caught. I think it's best if we find a way to trap him."

"Well, isn't he just one in a million…" Jet shook his head slowly as he, too, relaxed. "Why do you suppose that there's such a high bounty on his head?"

Ed grinned as she began madly typing away on her laptop. "He murdered one of the top diplomats from one of the other planets. If he isn't caught and handed over, there's going to be war. The main point is that Ganymede doesn't have as much firepower as the other planet does."

Jet nodded thoughtfully. "This bounty has more to it than just a price tag… It has all of Ganymede riding on it—no wonder they haven't shown it on the TV."

* * *

A.N. Well, folks, I was gonna make this chapter longer, but if I do I think I'll scream. I have honestly gotten so used to short chapters that trying to make so many different things happen in one chapter is starting to make me sick.

--bleagh!--

Okay, I'm all better now. Sorry if I don't stay current with the chapters on this, I'm really trying to make myself finish 'Lying From You' and maintain my job. I got so swamped the other night that if it weren't for the fact that I'm new, I would have been fired or something… Manager was really pissed. Anyhow, I will probably take longer with the next chapter for sure, I'm going to try to cover the entire bounty-hunting experience, start-to-finish, in the next chapter. Needless to say, this will take quite a while.

Read and Review! ;-P

Ryoko Yuy / V Shape Otaku


	4. Hook, Line, and Bounty!

Chapter 4: Hook, Line, and Bounty!

Faye drew in a deep breath as she stood in front of the casual dining restaurant that the bounty-head was rumored to visit often. She smiled as Jet pulled her closer to himself. According to the information that Ed had found, the bounty-head had a soft spot for women and especially hated men who abused women. The strategy was to get him to take Faye to an apartment or some other place away from her 'abusive' boyfriend.

Over the past several years, Faye and Ed had begun to use regular make-up to give the appearance of bruises, scars, and other similar injuries and blemishes. Ed had spent some time studying in a movie make-up effects course to learn how to do all of these things. This time, they gave Faye a pair of mirrored sunglasses to hide her 'black eye'. They gave her a few other 'bruises' over her arms and a thin scar over her wrist to fully exhibit the idea that she had been beaten.

She decided to wear a three-quarters length sleeved shirt that hung loosely onto her thin form and a pair of baggy jeans barely held onto her by a belt. She held close to Jet and often looked around the diner, as though she was looking for a place to escape. Finally, she noticed that her bounty-head was sitting in the smoking section by himself and appearing bored out of his mind. As his gaze met hers, she flashed a thin, flirtatious smile before Jet sat her down at the counter on a barstool and handed her a menu.

Jet scowled as he growled out his order to a young waitress. His eyes flared in anger as he saw Faye looking away from himself. He grabbed her wrist and forced her to look at him instead of their bounty-head. His words were angry and insulting, not to mention just loud enough for all of the smoking section to hear, "Just who do you think you were making eyes at, you stupid bitch?"

Faye's eyes widened, not only as part of their façade, but also in surprise from hearing Jet use such harsh words—it just wasn't in his nature. "I—I'm so sorry, Lee… I thought I saw something over there that I wanted to order…"

"Well, don't you worry about that, 'cause I already ordered for you. You aren't getting much, 'else you'll get too fat for me to look at." Jet sneered as he reached into the pocket of his sable trench coat and pulled out a small bottle of gin.

The man could take no more. He nearly leapt up from his booth as he stormed towards Jet and Faye. He placed a hand on Faye's shoulder as his eyes shot daggers at Jet. "Men like you disgust me… You have no right to treat this poor woman in this manner. If you know what's good for you, mister, you'll leave her alone from here on out."

Jet slammed his hand onto the counter in frustration. "Are you trying to tell me how to treat _my_ woman?"

The over-cocky bounty-head nodded as he slammed his fist into Jet's jaw, sending him flying off of his barstool. As he watched Jet begin to slink out of the restaurant, he shouted, "And don't come back!"

Faye's eyes sparkled as she looked up at her 'savior'. So far, the façade was falling in place perfectly. "Omigod!!! I don't know how I could ever thank you! Lee was so mean to me… and he would hit me whenever I said I wanted to leave… Thank you so much… My name is Natalie… and who are you?"

The man smiled as he brushed his hair out of his face with his right hand. "I am known as Charles Whitman. Call me Charlie."

Faye smiled as the young waitress brought out a small milkshake and handed it to her. She quickly pushed a straw into the drink and blushed as she saw Charles watching her with an unrelenting fascination. This bounty hunt seemed to prove the easiest money that she would receive in years.

* * *

Back on Mars, in a high rise apartment reserved for only the richest occupants, sat the woman whom had given Faye the latest solid lead in her search for the man known as Spike Spiegel. She stared at her empty fireplace as she sipped a glass of fine wine. Silently, she stood and approached the mantel that hung over the elaborate fireplace. She reached out for a framed photograph and spoke quietly to it. "My darling… Soon enough, I will exact vengeance for your death. I will not allow his death to be quick nor easy… He prevented us from receiving that which was rightfully ours… he _will_ pay."

Vee sighed as she replaced the photo amongst the other various items over the mantel. She walked into the adjoining room and opened a tall, cherry cabinet. She withdrew a small bottle and with a slight rattle of its contents, emptied two sleeping pills into her palm. Just as silently as she had opened the cabinet, she closed it as she hastily threw the pills into her mouth. She flipped the light switches off as she took another sip of the wine to wash down the twin gel-caps. She snickered as she thought back to Faye's determination to find Spike. What she doesn't know is that she's going to lead us straight to him…

* * *

Faye giggled flirtatiously as she followed Charles into his apartment. He had paid for their dinner in the restaurant and left the young waitress a decent tip as they left the restaurant. It seemed that cash flowed endlessly from his wallet. He thought nothing of telling Faye that he was the leader of a widely known organization or taking someone strange to himself to his apartment. What kind of man with a bounty on his head was he? Apparently he did not even suspect Faye of being after the bounty placed on his capture.

She sat back on a leather couch and relaxed into the gentle curves of the cushions. Immediately, her mind began to wander to Spike. How many more places will I have to go? Will he still remember me? Will he be alone, or will he be with someone? A woman? … I never really thought of it that way… I don't know what I would do if I found him with someone else. I've spent all of this time searching for him, imagining how it will feel to hold him in my arms and feel his skin touching mine… I don't know how I'd react…

Charles grinned at Faye as he sat next to her. Minus the bruises, she really was a beautiful woman. Not just on the outside, he noted, but there was a special woman within her heart as well. He mentally laughed at himself as he realized that he had thrown all caution to the wind, just to comfort this woman. He knew very well about the price on his head, but he also knew that he had back-up, if he needed it.

Faye fingered the pill packet in her pocket—this was how she was going to make sure that this operation was going to go smoothly. She smiled as she stood and made a move towards Charles's kitchen. "I'll get us something to drink, okay?"

Charles nodded as he slumped down into his couch. His mind was already beginning to cloud with the pleasurable things that he considered were definitely in his near future. Moments later, when the woman he knew as 'Natalie' returned with a pair of filled wine glasses, he could only envision how the finer details of the night would occur. Yes, he did respect women enough that he refused to hurt them, but he also considered the perks of having one spend the night with himself.

Faye watched quietly as Charles reached for his glass. The burgundy wine hid the slight discoloration of the drink caused by the drug that she had added to it. She silently reached for her glass and took a sip, just in case he would suspect her of drugging the wine. She had learned over the years that if she would only drug one glass, often the plan would slip through her fingers when she lost track of which glass she had drugged. So, in recent years, she had found a stimulant-type drug that countered the effects of the sleeping powder that she used to pacify her targets. She took the stimulant before she would begin drinking the drugged liquid. She often told the very bounties that she was about to turn in that she was taking an aspirin or other type of medicine. None of them ever questioned her motives.

Sweat beaded on Faye's forehead as she waited for the swift results of her 'magic powder', as Jet had once called it. Once more, her mind wandered to Spike. Was he still hunting bounties? No, he couldn't have been—she would have found him by now. Perhaps he had moved into another line of work…

"Natalie, are you well? You seem… distracted." Charles took a sip of his wine and moved closer to Faye.

Long ago, Faye had discovered that it was far easier to be honest, though vague, while talking to bounty-heads than to make up everything as she went. Too often she would trip over her own words and contradict herself. Faye shrugged as she took another sip. "Just… thinking of something."

"That scumbag that was hurting you? Don't tell me that you feel bad about that!" Charles hunched forward, fidgeting with the wineglass in his hands. He hastily gulped half of the drink before looking back at Faye. "Why ever did you deal with that man?"

Faye had prepared for this question, but her dialogued answer slipped from her mind for a few moments. "He didn't used to be this bad… He's had things go wrong for him and he just… takes it out on me sometimes."

"That doesn't make it right, Natalie! He hurts you! What if he actually did permanent damage?" Charles sipped the last of his wine as he awaited Faye's reply.

Faye paled for a moment as she watched Charles drink the wine nearly as fast as water would be drunken. "I don't know… he's gonna be mad enough as it is…"

"Don't go back to him… Stay here in this apartment with me. I won't let him come for you, I promise." Charles leaned toward Faye as he began to feel the weight of the alcohol on his eyelids. He hooked a finger under her chin and pulled her face closer to his, drawing the woman into a kiss.

Faye was beginning to wonder how much longer she would be able to act as she felt the man's entire weight slump over onto her. She gingerly lay him down on the couch and withdrew her handcuffs from her purse, making sure to lock them onto his wrists tightly as she also pulled out her communication devise and called for her partners to come retrieve their bounty.

Faye's thoughts wandered once more to Spike as she stared at Charles. Would Spike be that caring when she found him? This man whom she had barely met seemed willing to risk his everything just for her comfort. Then again, she wondered, would she ever even find Spike?

* * *

A.N. Okies, I know I took way too long to finish that chapter, and anyone who was looking forward to it six months ago or whenever I was working on this last—I'm sorry. I've been seriously neglecting fanfiction lately—my side jobs especially. I can't begin to promise or estimate when the next chapter will be done, but I am willing to take a list of those readers who would like to receive a newsletter or bulletin from me in the advent of my finishing of this fic. By my plans there should be at least another four to five chapters left on this one. I'm not trying to ruin anything for anyone, but I'm going to try to keep the plot line simple from here on out. I am not sure that I will have the energy to create another 40 chapter fan fic, especially one that has a much darker mood than I am normally used to working with. (Sorry if I sound lazy, but thats just the way life works.) 


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